Open the Excel table Total Fossil Fuel Carbon Dioxide Emissions. Create a graph of the data charting the yearly increase in carbon dioxide emissions, and complete the calculations in Questions 1–4 on page 39.
Open the Excel table U.S. Energy Consumption by Energy Source. Graph the usage of the following energy sources over time: all fossil fuels, conventional hydroelectric (electricity produced at dams), geothermal, biomass, solar, and wind. Complete the calculations in Questions 5–7 on pages 39–40.
- Photovoltaic cells (energy source: radiant energy from the sun)
- Wind turbines (energy source: mechanical energy from wind)
- Biogas generator (energy source: chemical energy from biomass)
- Fuel cells (energy source: chemical energy from hydrogen)
Based on your research, you will create a poster presentation to share information about your technology. You will then use what you have learned to create an plan to meet part of your school’s energy needs with renewable energy.
How to Conduct Your Research
Below are a number of resources for information about each of the four energy technologies, which you can use as a starting point for your research. As you look for information about your technology, answer the questions on page 41–42.
General Renewable Energy Information
- U.S. Dept. of Energy, EERE: Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy
- U.S. Dept. of Energy, EERE: Alternative Fuels Data Center
U.S. Dept. of Energy, EERE: A Consumer’s Guide to Energy Efficiency/Renewable Energy
International Energy Annual (IEA)
National Energy Education Development (NEED)
National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL)
Relying on Renewables: A global look at alternative energy
Real Goods Web site (to find costs of certain items)
Photovoltaic cells (energy source: radiant energy from the sun)
U.S. Department of Energy: Solar Space Heating and Cooling
Photovoltaic (PV) Cells
Cabin Photovoltaic (PV) System
National Renewable Energy Laboratory: Passive Solar Design for the Home
Creative Energy Technologies (Costs)
The American Solar Energy Society (ASES)
Solarbuzz: Solar Photovoltaic, PV Module, Panel Prices
Solar Insolation - Sun Hours per Day by Big Frog Mountain
Wind turbines (energy source: mechanical energy from wind)
American Wind Energy Association: Fact Sheets
Home Power Magazine: Wind Power
U.S. Department of Energy, EERE: Wind and Hydropower Technologies Program
Danish Wind Industry Association
Danish Wind Industry Association: What Does a Wind Turbine Cost?
Atlantic Orient Wind Power Basics
Biogas generator (energy source: chemical energy from biomass)
Re-energy.ca: Biomass Energy
Agricultural Utilization Research Institute Ag Innovation News: Farming for Energy
Agricultural Marketing Resource Center: Biomass Links
Oregon State Department of Energy: Biomass
Canadian Renewable Energy Network: Renewable Energy in Action: Haubenschild Farm, Inc
United Nations: Economic evaluation study for a full-scale village-community plant
Fuel cells (energy source: chemical energy from hydrogen)
http://www.fuelcells.org
U.S. Department of Energy, EERE: Fuel Cell Basics
U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Fossil Energy: Future Fuel Cells R&D
Plug Power Web site
Fuel Cells Canada
Ballard Power Systems Web site
How Stuff Works: How Fuel Cells Work
Smithsonian: Collecting the History of Fuel Cells
Energy Information Administration: State Electricity Profiles
Hint: Look at Table 5. Electric Power Industry Generation of Electricity by Primary Energy Source, 1993, 1997, and 2002, and use the Total Electric Industry data for the most recent year.
Energy Information Administration: State Electricity Profiles
Tidal Energy Web Links
California Energy Commission: Ocean EnergyWorld Energy Council: Tidal Energy
Molecular Expressions: Science, Optics, and You—Timeline1867-1899
Maxwell and Hertz
- Purchase and installation costs of the hardware (for example, fuel cell, wind turbine) per kW of generation capacity
- Costs for any other system components, such as batteries
- Cost per kWh to run the technology (if there are fuel costs)
- Potential maintenance costs
CONSIDERING THE IMPACT
With your Renewable Energy team, research any environmental, social, or safety issues related to your technology or to the energy source that your technology uses. Use the resources provided to help you start your research. In particular, consider the questions on page 107 (though not all of them may apply, depending on your technology and energy source).Meet with your Company team and review Powering a Library on page 110. Use what you have learned about your energy technology, along with the resources provided, to help you determine how your energy technology would best meet the library’s needs. As you conduct your research, think about the following:
- The efficiency of the system
- The start-up costs and kWh costs over the next 10 years
- The advantages of your technology, such as environmental impact and transportation costs
- The challenges of applying your technology to the library and how to respond to these challenges
- At least two drawbacks facing each of the other three energy technologies
Open HOMER and follow the instruction in Inputting the Library's Data into HOMER.
Students can use HOMER’s Getting Started Guide, available under the Help menu, if they want to learn more about the program.
No skill resources for Module 12.
7/25/06
A project of EDC, Inc. Education Development Center, Inc. works closely with Ford Motor Company Fund